


Naruto Shippuden One Shots

by KayoriSuoh



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bonding, Canon Compliant, Character Death, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Love Confessions, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-06-07 02:01:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15208382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayoriSuoh/pseuds/KayoriSuoh
Summary: A collection of one shots and multi-chaptered one shots featuring a Fem!Reader (female reader insert) with characters from Naruto Shippuden.May contain graphic violence, character death, etc. I will have warnings at the top of each section.I almost always write smut, so just assume a chapter has smut - it'll save you some time. ;)** Character tags will be added as characters are written in a one shot.





	1. 0 - INTRO TO SERIES

Hey all, so I decided that instead of compiling a few shorts to put on my Deviantart account, that I would actually put together one of those “Naruto Character/Fem!Reader” series. 

I did this with a series of mine on my Fanfiction account a couple years ago with K Project characters, but I actually created female characters to pair up with the boys, so this time it’ll be a reader insert with a similar format. Also, I figured if I enjoy the one shot enough to make a second part to it, I’ll just toss it in there right after the first half to avoid confusion, or simply attach it to the end of the first half and do the time skip bullshit LMAO 

All one shots are going to be random length. I’m not setting a limit for each of the writings, so if one of them is shorter than the others, don’t be surprised!

PLEASE NOTE – almost ALL of my one shots are female inserts! **I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH M/M OR F/F** , but it is out of my comfort zone unless I really see a character as having same-sex romantic interests. Again, I have nothing wrong with it, it’s just something that is out of my comfort zone and completely depends on the context of the character!

Also note, I will add more tags as this expands! ;)

Now that this is is out of the way, let's get started! I look forward to your comments and participation, and I hope you all enjoy these one shots! :) 

~ K.


	2. I - Hatake Kakashi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi returns from a mission and is reminded of how he desires the companionship of a certain someone.
> 
> ** Contains smut, you've been warned!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off is none other than Hatake Kakashi!
> 
> He's one of my favorite Naruto characters from the whole series, and I chose to write him first because I just finished rewatching his story arc in Shippuden during the fight against Obito and felt that he needed my immediate love. That is all LMAO
> 
> I did read through this quickly but if there are any errors, I'll fix them once I do a major edit after posting several chapters! If you've ever read my works or followed me, you'll know I procrastinate like fuck when it comes to editing ;)

It was early in the morning when Kakashi returned from his week-long mission and needless to say, he was happy to finally be home. Walking into the sparsely decorated living space made him feel comfortable instantly, despite the layers of dust already accumulating due to lack of routine cleaning. 

Stripping down from his ANBU uniform to discard it in his laundry basket, Kakashi walked to his bathroom to splash some water over his face. 

He knew Danzo would want his report sooner rather than later, but the fatigue of constantly using his chakra finally started to show and left him barely standing on his feet. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and pressed two fingers against the bridge of his nose. _Hn, better get this over with._ He made quick work of his report, even going as far as summoning one of his ninja hounds to deliver the scroll to Danzo for him to spare himself a few extra minutes of sleep. With that, he wandered back to his bedroom and ceased to exist for what seemed like forever. 

Kakashi was surprised when he woke up later the same day, pushing himself up off his mattress to look around his dimly lit room. Figuring it must be nearing the evening, he hauled his heavy body from his bed and made his way to the kitchen to make a quick meal that would hopefully aid in recharging his chakra levels. 

As he walked into the main part of his home, feelings of contentment also pulled a veil of discomfort over the silver-haired male. Furrowing his brow, he felt a flicker of loneliness that always seemed to consume him whenever he let his mind wander. It was always those moments that reminded him of Rin and Obito, and how things may have been different had he been competent enough to save the Uchiha all those years ago. 

And it always reminded him of _her_.

Kakashi continued brooding, simply staring at the dim scene of his living area until his thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his door. 

_She’s early,_ Kakashi thought to himself, considering covering his face up as he neared the door but decided against it. She’d seen him unmasked before, so it would be no surprise to her. 

Asuma had insisted Kakashi meet a woman that could potentially become a companion later down the road, and had – forcefully, mind you – set him up on a date with [Name]. She was a jonin level kunoichi that was transferred from the Hokage’s personal squad to becoming a teacher like Iruka in the academy. From what Kakashi gathered from their first meeting, she was rather content with her new workload and enjoyed teaching the students. One thing led to another, and Kakashi even found himself seeking her company when he’d have a spare moment to himself. 

During the first few times the two had met before or after missions, Kakashi had allowed himself to become intimate with [Name] and shared a very strict causal relationship. He was forward with explaining he wanted no attachments, however even he was not exempt from _human_ , tender feelings. The more time they spent together, the closer he was to saying things he wasn’t ready to say. 

“[Name],” Kakashi greeted her as he opened the door, stepping aside to allow her entry. 

[Name] walked in and looked up at him with surprise, “I was going to drop this off to you tomorrow, but I was in the neighborhood and thought I would stop by. Lord Third told me you were back from your mission as I was leaving the academy.” 

Kakashi nodded, “I got home early this morning,” he motioned for her to follow and led her into the kitchen, “Would you like some tea?” 

“No thanks,” She smiled up at him, holding out the basket she’d been carrying to him, “I should probably go and let you get your rest.” 

He thought for a moment, turning so that his back was facing her as he put the contents of the basket, being two fully prepared large meals [Name] had been kind enough to prepare, into the fridge. As he did this, he considered the consequences of asking her to stay with him for a while, weighing the pros and cons with considerable measure. 

It must have been due to his brief feeling of loneliness, he though, as he turned to her and opened his mouth to make conversation. 

“Say,” He started, noticing [Name] was giving him her full attention now, “You could always stay for a while?” 

[Name] grinned slightly, “You really must be tired if you’re considering having me over while you’re barely on your feet.” 

“Well, we really didn’t get to see each other much leading up to my mission, so I figured we could spend some time together,” Kakashi revealed, “Besides, I could use the company if you’re interested?” 

As she listened to his words, [Name]’s grin melted into a calm smile at the meaning behind his request. They’d know each other for a while now but the one thing she’d picked up on very quickly was the fact that Kakashi didn’t ask for very much, and when he did, he was sincere. 

“I’d love to stay,” [Name] looked up at him.

Kakashi smiled small and motioned for her to follow him, “Let’s go lay down then.” 

. . .

The next day, Kakashi woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed and better than he normally did after returning from a mission. He shifted to get a better look at his clock when he was met with a warm body beside him. Surprise flooded his system momentarily. He recalled [Name] having dropped by to bring him some food and welcome him home from his mission, but he’d completely forgotten he asked her to stay. 

_I must have been exhausted,_ He thought to himself, eyes roving over her form, _I don’t remember bringing her to bed with me. Though I have to admit, I do enjoy having her here._

His train of thought was broken as [Name] shifted, rolling onto her back to look up at him with half-lidded, sleepy eyes, “Morning.” 

“Morning,” He repeated, looking down at her as he lifted his body up off the bed to rest his weight down on his elbow, “Did you sleep well?” 

“Mm,” She nodded, rubbing her eyes briefly before looking up at him, “Did you?” 

Kakashi nodded, “Best sleep I’ve had in a while.” 

[Name] smiled, “Good.” 

As she went to sit up, Kakashi blocked her by caging her body underneath his own. She shot him a curious look as he continued to look down at her. 

“Kakashi?” She could feel her cheeks heating up with the intensity of his gaze.

“You decided to stay last night,” He mused, wondering if she would reveal whether or not he asked her to stay so he could fill in the blanks after he’d passed out from his fatigue. 

[Name] studying his expression and smiled, “You forgot that you invited me into your room, didn’t you?”

“That obvious?” Came his cheeky reply.

She nodded, “Only a little.” 

Reaching up, [Name] brushed strands of hair from his eyes and made sure to memorize every detail, realizing that she may never have the opportunity to see him like this again. 

However, [Name]’s breath caught in her throat from surprise when Kakashi leaned down to press his lips to her own. It was a brief, sensual touch but it left butterflies in her stomach nonetheless. 

“Let’s go get cleaned up then get something to eat,” Kakashi suggested, pulling away as he got up from the bed. 

[Name] took a moment to regain her senses, mildly embarrassed that a simple gesture left her almost breathless. She watched him stretch his upper body as he walked over to his dresser and couldn’t help but picture the same scenario with a more domestic feel to it, where this was an everyday routine for them. 

“You can borrow some of my clothes until yours are cleaned if you want?” Kakashi looked over his shoulder at her, “I do have some shirts that don’t cover the face.” 

“Sure,” [Name] finally picked herself up and got out of bed, looking down at herself to see that she was in a pair of his sleeping shorts and the shirt she’d arrived in. 

She shamelessly let her eyes wander over his form when he turned back to rummage through his dresser. Despite having seen Kakashi nude a handful of times during their sexual encounters, [Name] considered this to be the most intimate she’d ever been with him even without exchanging touches. 

In a way, she felt saddened at the fact that this – the entire evening, too – was only temporary. They would go back to how they were once she left the house and their regular routines continued as if nothing happened. 

Little did she know, Kakashi was muddled in his own thoughts on the situation and was beginning to feel similar. 

“Here,” He held out a standard navy-blue sweater with the Leaf’s crest on the shoulder, “It’ll be larger on you, but it’ll do the trick until your clothing is washed.” 

[Name] took it with a smile and watched as he gathered his attire in his arms before walking towards what she assumed was the door to his bathroom. Not knowing what to do at that moment, she awkwardly stood there and fumbled with his sweater until he looked back at her. 

“Coming?” 

She caught the amused tone to his voice and shot him a quick look, “You can’t bathe on your own?” 

“Not today it seems,” He chuckled, giving a small nod of his head for her to follow him, “Might as well break all the rules since you’re already here.” 

[Name] blushed and followed him in, not knowing why she was suddenly so self-conscious. Perhaps it was the fact, as she’d deduced previously, that because she spent the night she was seeing Kakashi raw and unfiltered. This was his home and was his comfort zone. He was in his element here and had nothing to hide. However, [Name] also knew that he was a private person who was used to living alone so that also tugged at her thoughts.

“Kakashi,” When he ‘hmm’d’ his reply, she continued, “You don’t find this intruding?” 

He set his clothing down on the vanity and turned to her, “Not really, no?”

She didn’t add anything further to the conversation and simply remained silent, even as he methodically stripped what remained of his clothing off. [Name] followed in suit, walking over to him as he turned the water to the shower on. 

Kakashi could feel her approaching and couldn’t help but glance at her. He had memorized every detail of her body from their trysts, but this was different. 

After their first sexual encounter, they made the agreement to keep things simple. Wherever they were during their intimacy, whether her home or his, they would part ways afterwards and go about their business. It was a request he’d made more for himself to avoid letting their companionship get too far and too personal. 

However, the longer she stayed, the more Kakashi began to accept the fact that she left a lasting calmness and comfort that was always absent in his empty home and was something he started to crave. 

“Ladies first,” Kakashi stepped aside, holding the glass door to the shower open for her with a small smile. 

[Name] blushed and hopped in, watching as he followed in suit, “When we’re done, do you want me to make breakfast?” 

“No, I’ll cook up something quick for us and save the meals you brought with you last night for later,” Kakashi reached over her to grab a bottle of what she assumed was shampoo, “Step under the water for a minute.” 

Doing as he requested, [Name] let the water drench her entire form, enjoying the hot water running down her body as it soothed her nerves. She could feel Kakashi’s eyes on her the entire time, pushing aside the feelings of nervousness to enjoy the moment. 

[Name] blinked as Kakashi pulled her out from under the water and turned her around, suddenly feeling a dollop of shampoo drop onto her head. She grinned, fighting the urge to look back at him when he handed her the bottle to hold before lacing his fingers into her hair to message the product through her tresses. 

“You spoil me,” [Name] sighed contently, closing her eyes to further enjoy the treatment, “I am capable of cleaning myself you know.” 

“I know,” Kakashi teased, “but I wanted to do this.” 

“How romantic,” She teased back, letting the words slip before she could stop them. 

Kakashi surprisingly didn’t falter, continuing to message the shampoo through her hair thoroughly until he pulled his hands away to turn her around. He caught the serene expression on her face as he backed her up under the water once more and proceeded to run his fingers through her hair until all traces of the product was gone. He noticed that she was preparing to reciprocate his actions but decided to continue pampering her before she got the chance to even touch him. 

He was quick, slipping the bottle from her hand to place on the wall before he proceeded to lather her body with soap she didn’t even realize he had in his hands. [Name] watched him intensely as he dropped down to run his hands down the length of her legs, blushing at the detail he put into making sure every inch of her skin was bathed. 

“Kakashi,” She couldn’t keep the hesitation from her voice. 

He didn’t meet her eye as he rose, only lightly pushing her so she was almost fully under the cover of water to rinse off. [Name] didn’t question it, seeing as how he looked deep in thought while he bathed her. 

Feeling her hands twitch with the desire to touch him, [Name] took advantage of his concentrated state to begin lavishing him the same way he did to her. She used some of her chakra to give her the strength to swing their bodies around so that he was now under the water and ignored the startled look her gave her. 

_I must have broken his train of thought_ , [Name] mused to herself, grabbing the same bottle he’d used before and dropped enough shampoo onto her palm to clean his thick mop of silver hair. 

“[Name]–”

“Don’t,” She silenced him, reaching up to begin messaging the product into his hair as he did for her as she recited his words back to him, “I want to.” 

Kakashi remained still and let her do as she pleased, closing his eyes to enjoy the sensations that her touch gave him. Even as he stood under the water, he almost groaned as she used just the right amount of pressure to message his scalp and couldn’t help himself from reaching for her. 

[Name] looked up at him when his arms pulled her flush against his chest, “Kakashi?” 

He silenced her immediately as he pressed his lips to hers. It was a little more forward than the innocent peck from earlier, and he was sure she would pick up on the change in atmosphere. [Name] wrapped her arms around his neck in response, meeting him with the same amount of feeling as they deepened their exchange. 

Kakashi’s hands ran down the length of her body until they stopped at her hips and used his new hold to maneuver her body so her back was pressed against the shower wall. He heard her let out an audible gasp from the drastic temperature difference of the cool tile compared to the heat of the water and grinned against her lips. 

“[Name],” Kakashi looked down at her, “If I asked you to be my lover, would you say yes?”

Startled by the abrupt question, [Name] stared at him for a moment before responding, “Of course I would.”

Kakashi didn’t answer her. Instead, he kissed her again, only this time more insistently. He felt her wrap her arms around him again to pull him closer and pressed her entire body flush against her own. Sliding his hands down to cup around the backs of her thighs, he lifted one of her legs off to the floor to wrap around his hip while the other slithered around the front of her. 

[Name]’s breath hitched when Kakashi’s fingers teased her folds open to touch her bundle of nerves. Even with her eyes closed she knew would watch her, taking in every expression as he touched her. As the heat began to build up in her core, she gripped Kakashi’s shoulders tightly to balance herself for the impending release that always left her shaky. He easily slipped his fingers deep inside her heat, causing an eruption of shivers to dance across her skin. As she lolled her head back and breathed in deep, she felt his lips press against the junction of her throat and rise up towards her jaw while he pulled his hand away to bring her other leg up to wrap around him. 

“[Name],” Kakashi said her name deeply, arousal evident in his voice, “Hold onto me tightly.” 

She did as she was told, anchoring herself to his chest as he maneuvered her down onto his length. They both inhaled sharply at the sensation before Kakashi began moving, using slow, calculated strokes to penetrate her deeply. Her body was already thrumming; her heart beating like a drum as Kakashi made love to her against the shower wall. She moaned out his name softly and received kisses along her collar bone with a muffled grunt of pleasure as his length continued fill her completely.

The pressure from the slow, intimate way he pleasured her suddenly made [Name] think of all of her feelings for the jonin. She loved him, but she always held back due to their relationship. However, in the moment it all came crashing over her, causing her eyes to water as she hit her peak harder than ever before. She had to bite her bottom lip to stop her from blurting her feelings out in the heat of the moment. 

Kakashi wasn’t far behind her, hitting his peak as he thrust deep inside her one last time. He closed his eyes tightly and gasped for breath, his form slumping against her as he rests his forehead on her shoulder.

“[Name],” He paused, wondering if he would feel relieved when the words finally came out, “I’m not ready to say it yet but if you’re willing to be patient, I want to give this a try.” 

Knowing exactly what he was suggesting didn't take away from [Name] feeling stunned by his declaration, “Kakashi?” She shuddered as he pulled from her and set her down on her feet, “Are you sure? Don’t feel like you have to just because–”

“This isn’t a spur of the moment decision,” Kakashi looked at her, “I’ve been thinking about us off and on for a while now, and reality hit when I woke up this morning and saw you. I won’t lie and say that I’m not worried about either one of us getting hurt, but I feel at ease when you’re around.” 

[Name] tried to alleviate the tension with a smile, “Is it because I take such good care of you?” 

“Well, that’s part of it,” He teased quickly but became serious again, “I mean it, though. I want to give us a real try.” 

She considered him, watching as he turned the water off, “Kakashi,” he turned to look at her, “I’d be honored.” 

Kakashi smiled small, enjoying the softness of her tone of voice. Leaning down, he gave her a long kiss and pulled her close to him. 

“Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I’ll apologize for the slowness of this fic first off... LMAO 
> 
> Secondly, I apologize if Kakashi was out of character and that things were confusing. The majority of this fic was based off the fact that Kakashi was once an ANBU coming home to an empty home, and the importance of companionship. 
> 
> I may or may not rewrite this depending on how I feel about it when I start writing the others. 
> 
> I also want to make a note that I may or may not have mentioned before, that the length of all of these one shots **will not be the same**. I may write drabbles for one character and a three-part section for another. I’m an Uchiha hoe, so it’s likely that my favorite Uchiha’s will have larger chapters. No shame in that at all LMAO 
> 
> I won’t be giving away who the next character will be at the end of these, but I’m feeling like a Senju fic is in the works. I’m a huge Tobirama fan (IRONIC, RIGHT?) and while I’m trash at actually writing his character well, I’m going to do it anyways.


	3. II - Uzumaki Naruto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A strange girl from a noble clan takes an interest in Naruto and decides to be his friend.
> 
> ** Nothing to note here other than some fluff. No warnings :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say a quick thanks to those of you who have stumbled upon my reading! Welcome~ I hope I do not disappoint! 
> 
> Next up is none other than Uzumaki Naruto! 
> 
> I feel like I have to explain that while I do like Naruto and Hinata’s relationship, it’s always fun to see what kind of character he turns out to be when written with an OC or reader insert. So, if you’re into that, let’s get started~ 
> 
> Also note that I tweaked the canon plot a bit so that my insert was a little more useful than just being there ;)
> 
> ** NOTE, I'm still garbage at editing before I post (procrastination queen right here), so like I said in my Kakashi one shot I will do major editing when I get a few chapters in.

_”There he is – that monster. What the hell is he still doing in the village?”_

_“Lord Third must be taking pity on him.”_

_“It’s unfair to us to keep him in the village. Think about the kids at the academy that have to interact with him!”_

That was the last comment [Name] heard being shouted in the Uzumaki boy’s direction before he suddenly sprinted off in fury. She could tell by first glance that he was crying tears of frustration and sadness, something a child his age shouldn’t be experiencing so young. She was only barely two years his senior, but that didn’t stop her from feeling sorry for the way the adults – and kids her age for that matter – treated him. 

[Name] had taken care to avoid being seen when she approached him for the first time, considering it would be frowned upon that a girl from the noble [Surname] clan was dumbing herself down to speak to _him_. She couldn’t help but grin at the look on his face when she started walking towards him, not missing the hesitation that flashed in his bright blue orbs. 

Naruto didn’t move from his shaded spot under the tree he leaned back against, “Hi...”

“Hi,” [Name] grinned down at him, “Mind if I join you?” 

His spirits lifted at her question, “Sure.” 

She could still tell he was hesitant but pushed that aside to plop down beside him. They were close, but not too close. She established a respectable distance that would be deemed appropriate for their newfound friendship. 

“Here,” [Name] pulled out two packaged treats from her pocket and offered him one, “This should be a good ice breaker.” 

Naruto watched her for a moment before accepting the gift, “Thanks,” he eyed her cautiously, “What’s the catch?” 

[Name] was in the process of opening her treat when she stopped to look at him, “Am I not allowed to be nice to someone?” 

“No one’s nice to me,” Naruto stated that as if he knew for certain that it was a cold, hard fact.

She smiled at him, “Well, get used to it because you have a new friend who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” 

Naruto blinked several times in disbelief before grinning brightly, “Really?!”

[Name] could tell he was still waiting for the ball to drop and for her to expose some sort of ill prank towards him but brushed it off as they ate in a comfortable silence. 

“Are you training to take the entrance exam?” [Name] looked at Naruto after noticing that he was staring at her hitai-ate, “I could help you if you’d like.” 

Naruto was beaming at the idea of training, “I’ve already mastered a ton of new jutsu that will get me into the academy, but I suppose you could watch me!”

“You don’t need help with anything?” She grinned at him, “Even taijutsu?”

“Well, when you put it that way,” Naruto grinned back at her, “But don’t be disappointed when I beat you every time! I’m going to be Hokage after all, so I can’t let a _girl_ outshine me!”

[Name] blinked at his blatant confidence and suddenly remembered the very first time she saw him. He was confronting a group of boys who were attempting to bully him, and clearly he was having none of it. He screamed almost the exact same Hokage spiel out loud before recklessly charging at them. Naruto had been brutally beaten on by the other boys, but that didn’t stop him from hurling more insults at them during the entire scuffle and walking away with a proud smile on his face. 

With a smile, [Name] winked at him, “I’ll hold you to that, future Hokage.” 

. . .

Naruto sat in silence under the tree facing the back of the academy for a short period of time before he’d finally had enough. It didn’t take long before listening to happy families congratulating their children on successfully completely the entrance exam had gotten under his skin, causing his feet to move on their own as they led him further away from the crowd. He didn’t pay attention to where he was going until he made it to the training grounds and was surprised to see someone else there. The closer he got, the stronger the sense of familiarity hit him.

“[Name]?” He’d recognized her immediately when she turned to face him.

She opened her mouth to greet him with a smile, only to falter when she noticed his saddened state. 

“Naruto?” She turned to face him fully, watching as he walked to one of the three posts standing alone in the middle of the clearing and sank down against one, “What’s wrong?” 

“It’s nothing,” His voice lacked the usual chipper tone that she’d grown used to.

“It’s something,” She countered, closing the distance so she was standing in front of him now, “Spill.” 

Naruto looked up at [Name] with sad eyes, “It doesn’t matter what I do, I just can’t pass that exam.” 

“Ah, so that’s what this is about,” [Name] frowned, “You had to produce a shadow clone for the exam, didn’t you?”

When she received no reply, she smiled down at him and held her hand out, “Show me?”

Naruto looked up at her hand before slowly accepting it, having found himself feeling uplifted by her positive mood. He found it calming to be around her, even more so now that she was there to watch him finally perform the jutsu. 

Confidence returning, Naruto let [Name] help him up before dusting himself off, “Alright, just watch and I’ll definitely get it this time!”

“I believe you,” [Name] grinned, stepping aside to give him some space, “Just conjure one for now.” 

Her words fell on deaf ears as Naruto weaved his hand signs to produce a shadow clone, only to have a failed attempt appear beside him and fall to the ground. Naruto froze, staring down at the clone with disbelief.

“A-again?!” 

[Name] watched him and giggled, “You’re trying too hard.” 

Naruto stared at her incredulously, “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope,” She grinned, walking over to him to.

He watched her carefully as she walked in front of him, reaching to take his hands in hers and help him position his signs differently. He didn’t even bother to try and hide the light blush that stained his cheeks, but rather focused his attention more adamantly on watching how she manipulated his hands.

“It’s the same principle as the regular Shadow Clone Jutsu, however,” her eyes narrowed as she felt his chakra circulate, “this is a forbidden technique that Lord Second, Tobirama, passed onto my family.”

[Name] released her hold on his hands and showed him just what she was talking about, forming the sign and creating not one, but _five_ clones of herself. 

To say that Naruto was mystified would have been an understatement. 

“Teach me!” Naruto demanded with enthusiasm, not believing that he just witnessed this girl create all of those perfect clones with hardly any effort. 

[Name] smiled, “Sure. It would be easier if you read the scroll, but even I don’t know where Lord Tobirama’s stash is.” 

“Wait, are you related to the second Hokage or something?” Naruto suddenly realized she mentioned said Hokage’s title more than once. He also picked up on the fondness she used when she spoke Lord Second's name. 

She shook her head, “No, I’m not related to the Senju’s, but my family helped there’s during a skirmish some years ago. My cousin helped Lord Tobirama on a mission to infiltrate an enemy camp to retrieve some stolen scrolls and saved him from being killed,” she closed her eyes and envisioned her cousin’s face, “As a token of Lord Tobirama’s gratitude, he allowed my cousin to train under him.” 

“Were they dating?” Naruto was smirking at this point.

[Name] grinned back at him, “No, he was just a trusted disciple of Lord Tobirama. He was the only one who knew of the jutsu at first, but in time all of the shinobi born into our clan was taught the jutsu the minute we could manipulate our chakra. It's treated kind of like a right of passage in our family now, so to speak.”

“Wow,” Naruto stared up at her, “and you’re going to teach me this jutsu?”

She nodded, “Yup! That is, if you promise to be a good listener.” 

She found it almost amusing how fast Naruto shut his mouth and stood at attention, patiently waiting for her to bestow this gift onto him. She couldn’t help but smile, knowing that he would be a wonderful candidate to teach Lord Second’s jutsu to. 

It also helped that he had a chakra reserve made for thousands and she wanted to see just how many clones this boy could produce. 

“Now I’ll tell you, the usual limit to the clones successfully conjured by any of my clansmen was five,” [Name] told him, “So if you can only manage two or three at most for the first while, don’t be discouraged. My father has been using this technique for longer than I’ve been alive and even he can’t summon and maintain more than five clones at once.” 

“Got it,” Naruto was grinning determinedly now, “I’ll just have to keep training to surpass all of you!”

She giggled at his boast, albeit obnoxious, “Alright then, let’s get started.” 

Unbeknownst to the pair, off to the side just outside of [Name]’s sensory field, Iruka was in a state of disbelief as he watched the two. Sure, he knew [Name] was a gifted kunoichi from a clan respected in the ranks of the Hyuuga and Uchiha, but he didn’t ever consider the fact that she was mentoring the academy’s worst student. 

In a sense, Iruka found himself happy that Naruto finally found someone who would be there for him. By watching the two, he could tell she was genuine with wanting to help the little knuckle head, and that brought a smile to Iruka’s face. 

For the second time since he’d been there observing, Iruka’s eyes widened and shock spread over his features when – with [Name]’s help, of course – Naruto successfully pulled off Tobirama Senju’s forbidden technique, the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. There was only three of them standing there, but they were perfect clones. All of the jonin were aware that the [Surname] clan was privy to that jutsu, but watching her teach it to Naruto... 

Iruka felt pride build up at the sight. 

_Finally,_ he thought to himself as he watched Naruto jumping up and down with sheer excitement and confidence, Finally you can show the others what you’re capable of, Naruto.

“I can’t wait to show this to Iruka sensei!” Naruto’s loud voice echoed around the training grounds, “Once he sees my awesome new technique, he’ll have to give me my hitai-ate!”

Iruka blinked at the thought and found the pocket that held the hitai-ate reserved for Naruto weigh heavily in his pockets. The thought made him smile, but he chose not to interrupt their training. 

. . .

“Well Naruto, I’m off on my mission,” [Name] grinned at the blond boy clad in orange, “I’ll see you when I get back?” 

Naruto watched her and nodded with a slight frown, “How long will you be gone?” 

“I don’t know,” She said honestly, “My squad is accompanying several jonin on a mission that was supposed to be given to the ANBU, so there’s no telling how long we’ll be gone for.”

“Be careful, will ya?” He said frowning deeply. 

Truth was, Naruto was unhappy that his only _real_ friend was leaving. He wanted her to be there when he finally got placed in his squad, or when he finally put that damned Sasuke Uchiha in his place. 

With a smile, [Name] reached out to ruffle his hair tenderly, “I’ll be back before you know it,” with a wink, she leaned down slightly and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, “Be good and tell me everything that’s happened from this point on when I come home, kay?” 

Nodding slowly, Naruto reached up to cup his cheek as he watched her turn and walk off. He felt butterflies starting to flutter in his stomach the way they always did whenever Sakura was around and smiled bashfully to himself. 

_I promise I’ll have a ton of new jutsu for you to see when you get back, [Name],_ Naruto said in confidence, _Just you wait and see!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, just a cute theme for my very first time writing with Naruto’s character. Even though he’s such an easy character to comprehend, I find him more difficult to write than say... Itachi or even Hashirama. 
> 
> I honestly may even write a second part to this... undecided but, I think this would make a good opener for a two-part one shot ;) 
> 
> While on that note, I should reiterate that these are for fun (and probably only being written for my own entertainment, let’s be honest) so if the character is not your expectation, be kind when commenting. I don’t have to go out of my way to write these, but I do because I love the fandom and I also love the characters that Kishimoto so carefully cultivated. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this. I’ll be busy for the next week or so, so in my haste to get some ideas out there I’ll be slamming a couple more “chapters” out within the next 24 hours. I still have two more parts to write up for my Servamp mini-series, so I also have to pace myself to make sure that gets done too LMAO 
> 
> Ever take on way too much all at once? Yeah, that’s me right now. Oh well, c’est la vie! Next one should be up sometime soon. I already have an idea of how I want to write it, it’s just deciding who I’m putting in it the actual fic that’s the hard part... :’)


	4. III - Izuna Uchiha (pt. I)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I haven't been here in a while! 
> 
> I kind of fell off the Naruto bandwagon a couple months ago, but once I rewatched some episodes with the flashbacks to when Madara and Hashirama first met, my love for the series was reignited and then I just had to type out something for my favorite Uchiha of all time - Izuna. 
> 
> Now I know, Izuna's character had absolutely no time to be expanded on, so I take it upon myself with characters like that to find out as much as I can about them, and then do my own expanding on their characters. With Izuna, I feel like he would have been a more playful, manipulative little fucker to watch out for, and that's how I write him in this~ :D 
> 
> Also, note: There is a part two to this, as I ended up writing way more than I thought I was going to and had to split this up in order to avoid making it seem like it was going on forever. I will be posting it directly after this one instead of how I did all of the updates with my K Project series.
> 
> As I said at some point, I am a hardcore Uchiha hoe (*cough* **Izunahoe** *cough*), so while I will be all up on the Uchiha with updates, I can guarantee right now that Izuna will definitely have another update done for him, apart from the second half of this update. He is my favorite and no one will tell me that I can't write multiple updates for him. I just won't accept that.
> 
> ... I also didn't edit this one that great as it's super early in the morning and I have class at 8:30, so, yay for no sleep and choosing to write fanfic instead of doing your university papers? :'D

[Name] stood quietly as she overlooked the horizon, having finally made her way up to the top of the mountain not far from her clans’ borders. She wanted to feel even a sliver of peace, considering her clan was soon to be engaged in a battle not long after finishing up a contract with a feudal lord. It didn’t surprise her that they would be called on again, not considering how powerful they were. Her clan was able to stand against the mighty Senju and Uchiha, which gave them a reputation that came with fear and prestige.

War was what she knew, and it was growing up defending herself with a sword and jutsu that she knew well.

What she didn’t understand, however, was the life her father was trying to force onto her.

[Name] reluctantly acknowledged that the eldest daughter’s role was to take her place beside a clan head and eventually give birth to many warriors. She also knew it was uncommon for clans to marry in order to become allies and solidify bonds.

_“I want our clan to gain favor and become allies with one of the two strongest shinobi clans, so in order to do that, I will negotiate with them and offer to marry you to their eldest son.”_

As her father’s words flooded through her mind, [Name] felt her blood boil and immediately wash away the serene feelings she’d begun to feel. Even the landscape, as beautiful as it was unobscured by blood and metal, could not satiate her feelings of disgust for her current predicament.

[Name] felt like she was being betrayed by her father, knowing that if her mother had still been alive, she wouldn’t have allowed him to hand her off to an enemy clan. She was one of the [Surname] clan’s greatest kunoichi’s and being an only child born to their current clan head, she couldn’t understand why he was choosing to go through with his decision.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes. Today, despite having managed to sneak away from the watchful eyes of her clan to gain a moment of peace, was the day she found out which clan would accept her father’s treaty. She mentally wished that both clans would disagree with the idea of another clan being integrated into their own, but luck was not on her side.

“There you are,” The voice of one of her clansmen broke the silence as she turned to watch him approach, “Our leader wishes to speak to you.”

[Name] didn’t bother trying to hide her displeasure, “Coming.”

\- .o. -

“I have called you here to privately discuss the new terms and conditions for our alliance,” Takimono, [Name]’s father and the current clan head, began, “Do you have anything to say before I begin?”

“Other than objections, no,” [Name] sat perfectly still while Takimono shot her a hard look, “Which clan accepted your alliance first?”

“Surprisingly, it was the Uchiha,” He caught the hint of shock in her eyes despite her being able to keep her facial features neutral, “Tajima Uchiha and I have come to mutual terms that will benefit both clans. The territory has been divided to ease the burden of clansmen who are injured or otherwise incapable of defending themselves. We have also agreed to supply the Uchiha with our medical knowledge so that their own medical ninja can be better prepared on the battlefield.” 

[Name] couldn’t believe that the infamous Uchiha had agreed to an alliance with an outside clan, considering how private and closed off they were. Much like the Hyuuga, they never mingled with other clans to avoid mixing their bloodlines and tainting the pure blood in fear that other clans would gain access to the Sharingan.

“What is going to happen to me?” [Name] wanted to hear him say it. She wanted to hear him tell her that he was marrying her off and would never see her again, “Did they actually agree to an arranged marriage?”

“Not to his eldest son as I’d originally requested,” Takimoto crossed his arms, “I believe the son Tajima has chosen is the second oldest, Izuna.”

[Name] bit back a nasty response and avoided eye contact with her father, “When do you hand me off to them?”

“You will be married to Izuna in two weeks,” Takimoto watched her carefully, “I suggest you find it in your heart to show them kindness because this deal will not be broken because of your pride. You will represent our clan with honor and dignity and show the Uchiha that we are more than capable of standing as their equals.”

“I know what my duties are,” [Name] frowned, “I suppose this means I will no longer be able to join the clan in battle?”

“Tajima and I discussed that and have decided that once you move to the Uchiha compound, you will no longer be allowed to participate in the upcoming wars unless Izuna allows you to,” Takimono prepared himself for an onslaught of anger, and sure enough, he watched as [Name]’s pale face burned red with rage.

“How could you?!” [Name] slammed her hands down on the tatami mats beneath her, “All of my life I’ve been trained to be as powerful as I can be and fight alongside my clan. How can you expect me to just drop everything I’ve ever known and become some housewife?”

“You will do as you’re told,” Takimoto narrowed his eyes, “We are running out of options and with the way things are progressing, it is necessary to make sacrifices in order to protect and provide for the clan. You are doing a duty to your clan that no one else can.”

[Name] opened her mouth to protest but a stern look from her father silenced any and all thoughts on the matter at hand. She was outraged and furious, but also still incredibly shocked that the Uchiha agreed to all of this. If her father told her the Senju agreed to an alliance, that wouldn’t have been as much of a shock to her, what with her previous interactions with both of the Senju heirs, Hashirama and Tobirama.

But the Uchiha...

“The Uchiha will be here in two days to sign the agreement and for you to be formally introduced to the head of the clan and to both his sons,” Takimoto slowly got up and began walking to the doors, “I suggest you rehearse some manners before the end of tomorrow night, otherwise you will be punished for your disrespect to your fiancé.”

[Name]’s body tense as Takimoto passed her, “Understood, sir.”

“Good,” With that, he left the room, leaving [Name] to her thoughts.

As Takimono left [Name] to her thoughts, he couldn’t keep the guilt from creeping onto his face as he made his way to the private part of the compound where he normally meditated. He knew [Name] would be furious and that he was taking her life away by handing her off to a clan who could very well turn their back on the deal, but he had no choice. He couldn’t reveal to her that their clan was losing resources and that their strongest warriors were growing old. 

He sighed, “She’ll understand one day, I hope.”

 

\- .o. -

The day had come when [Name] was to meet the Uchiha officially and also come face-to-face with Izuna. Not knowing what to expect, she followed silently as two of her father’s current proteges lead her towards the main meeting hall. The closer she got to the door, the more anxious she felt and the more her nerves began to swallow the anger she’d been seething in since her father revealed the terms of the alliance.

She couldn’t put off the inevitable as she’d hoped to. Her father had gotten wise to her ways and made sure that there was ninja stationed all around the compound to stop her from escaping to the mountains the morning of the Uchiha’s arrival.

Now, [Name] stood in front of the sliding doors in silence as she picked up bits and pieces of what was being said inside the room. She inhaled sharply and steeled herself for what might happen as the doors were opened.

Inside sat her Takimono, who occupied a spot at the head of the table. Beside him sat a man she’d never seen before but judging by the hard look on his face and his piercing stare, she automatically assumed she was looking at Tajima Uchiha. To the right of the Uchiha clan head sat two boys, both roughly her age. The first of the two looked to be one year older than her and was trying to hide his obvious curiosity while maintaining an aloof, stone-faced expression much like his father. She could also tell that he was unimpressed by what he saw and took offense to the judgemental look he was giving her as she sat down at the empty spot beside her father.

As she sat there for a moment, she finally looked towards the other boy and instantly knew she was locking eyes with Izuna Uchiha.

Despite her displeasure for the entire situation, she couldn’t help but admire him. He had the obvious mysterious charm that all Uchiha were known for, and the mixture of fair complexion contrasted with onyx hair and eyes made him look almost phantom-like. He also had a considerably calmer air to him than his brother and father, which made it easier to hold his stare. She could tell just by observing the way he held himself that he was every bit of shinobi as she’d imagined he would be and wondered if the rumors she’d secretly gathered on him were as gruesome and terrifying as she was told. She could also tell he was analyzing her deeply, which unsettled her the slightest but she couldn't blame him, considering this was their first time meeting eyes since the news of their arranged marriage from both sides.

“So, this must be [Name],” Tajima stared her down with a critical eye, “She is exactly as you described, Takimono.”

Her father nodded and looked at her, “Don’t let her appearance deceive you. She’s one of the strongest kunoichi’s this clan has ever produced.” 

“If she proves to be as good as you say she is, she will make a good wife for Izuna,” Tajima glanced towards his sons, who both continued to stare hard at [Name], “Go and speak with her, Izuna. You will not get a chance to exchange words until she is brought to the compound. Madara will remain here with us until you return.”

Izuna nodded and slowly got up, “Yes, sir.”

“Go, [Name],” Takimoto motioned for her to follow Izuna, “You will accompany him to the garden and wait to be called on.”

[Name] noticed the warning look Takimoto was giving her and brushed it off, getting up and walking around to where Izuna was. She could feel his older brother’s eyes on her as the two were escorted out of the room while Takimono and Tajima began their discussion, leaving the two to talk freely once they reached their destination.

“No offense, but I don’t get why father chose you,” [Name] turned to look at Izuna, “You don’t look like much of a kunoichi.”

[Name] glared and chose to ignore the direct insult, not really thinking of whether he was trying to rile her up on purpose or if he was just rude, to begin with, “I didn’t ask for this. Besides, who are you to judge? You have no idea what I’m capable of.”

“Apparently that doesn’t matter, considering we’re not that far off from getting married,” Izuna crossed his arms, “I take it you were against this?”

“Wholeheartedly.”

He nodded, “The Uchiha don’t marry outsiders, so consider yourself lucky.”

“If you’re going to treat me like a piece of garbage, you might as well kill me and save me the trouble of having to listen to you complain about how I’m not worthy for the rest of our lives,” [Name] narrowed her eyes.

Izuna surprised her by grinning, “You’re pretty short tempered, aren’t you?” She wasn’t impressed by his comment, so he decided to press further, “Say you did have some talent and turned out to be everything your father told our father, then what? We have children and they inherit the Sharingan from me,” he paused as he approached her, “What do they get from you?”

[Name] was fuming, but she didn’t let her anger get the best of her knowing that she would be playing right into his hands.

 _He might be easy on the eyes but he’s clearly a devious, manipulative little shit like the rumors suggested._  

“You don’t really know much about our clan, do you?” [Name] crossed her arms to mimic Izuna, not letting herself be intimidated by his sudden closeness.

He shrugged, “Madara and I only found out about your clan the day Takimono approached our father with this deal. We know nothing of who or what you are.”

“Then you’re in for a surprise,” She watched him as he began to circle around her, not letting up her guard.

“Oh?” He watched her closely as he circled around to her front, “Why is that?”

“We also have a kekkei genkai that makes our clan formidable, although I don’t see the point in telling you everything now,” [Name] lifted her chin up to meet his eyes, “I’m not yours to boss around and I won’t be bullied by you.”

Izuna stopped walking and looked down at her, “You know, I like that you’re spirited and all, but that will change. You’ll tell me what I want to know.”

[Name] instantly pulled back the second she felt the shift in his chakra, trying to put some distance between the two and looked anywhere but him. But Izuna was fast, much faster than she anticipated. She held back a groan as her back slammed against a nearby tree and she fought hard against the grip he held on her chin.

“You could make this much easier on yourself and just tell me what it is that makes you so special?” Izuna teased, “I don’t particularly enjoy being disrespectful to women, least of all to the one who will be my wife. If we’re going to get along, you’ll definitely need to think about what you say next.”

“I doubt that,” [Name]’s eyes wouldn’t meet his, “What’s to stop you from using that Sharingan of yours to force me into submission? I wouldn’t put it past the likes of you.”

Izuna narrowed his eyes slightly, “Is that your opinion of me? You only just met me.”

“Appearances can be deceiving,” [Name] struggled to release herself from his grip, “Do whatever it is you feel you need to do, just know that if you _want us to get along_ , you’ll have to play nice, too.” 

“Even in a situation where you’re at a disadvantage, you’re still so spunky. A quality I like in a woman,” She heard him chuckle as he released her chin, however, he did not pull back from pinning her to the tree, “I think you and I will get along just fine. Although, I should warn you that my brother and father tolerate attitude far less than I do. You’ll learn quick who you can and can’t get away with saying ‘no’ to.”

“So basically, I’m going to be treated like a prisoner with a few extra privileges?” She glared.

“For the first few weeks, possibly,” Izuna answered honestly, “The Uchiha don’t make a habit of bringing in other clans to our home and offering them hospitality. You’re an exception because of this arranged marriage, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll be exempt from gaining the trust of our clan. A lot of people were against this whole thing, so you’re going to start off with quite a few enemies.”

[Name] finally looked at him, but not in his eyes as she was understandably wary of his Sharingan that he had yet to show her, “And I’m to assume I’ll get no support from my _husband_?”

“You will, but only if we come to an understanding,” Izuna pulled back a bit, “If you and I are at each other’s throats, you’ll have a harder time gaining respect from the clan. My brother is the next in line to be the leader and I will be his right-hand, so impressing the majority will make my life easier so I won’t have to defend you every time something goes wrong or fear for your safety when the clan goes off to battle.”

[Name] didn’t like the situation she was being thrown into and was having a hard time accepting the fact that she was essentially trapped. The thought of running crossed her mind, but she had a feeling that if the Uchiha found her, she’d be worse off than where she was now.

She knew she couldn’t trust Izuna, but her options were limited.

“What is it you want from me, then?” [Name] waited for him to ask for total submission.

Izuna didn’t miss how rigid she’d become, “We’ll have a longer heart-to-heart, but for now, let’s just agree to be civil towards each other. You forget that you’re not the only one affected by this. I wasn’t entirely thrilled at the idea of this marriage either when I found out that I was father’s candidate. 

“I figured,” [Name] frowned. She’d been selfish and let her anger cloud her thoughts, “I won’t apologize for what I’ve said, but I’ll be more mindful in the future.”

Izuna grinned again, “That’s a start I suppose. To be fair, I’ll also be more considerate of what’s being said in the future,” He let her go entirely and took a step back to give her some space, only to have her grab the bottom of his sleeve.

“Can I see it?” [Name] looked up at him.

Izuna’s eyes traveled down to her hand before he looked at her with a teasing grin, “You don’t trust me enough to tell me what your family’s kekkei genkai is, but you feel safe enough for me to activate my Sharingan?”

“You would have done something by now if you really wanted information,” [Name] argued, “Wouldn’t you?”

He chuckled, “I suppose you’re right. Although, I do respect you as a woman more than to roughly handle you just to get information,” he leaned forward, “No genjustu, promise.”

[Name] bravely met his eyes, trying not to let the insecurity of knowing he could do anything to her at this point with just a single glance show. She couldn’t read his expression anymore, unnerving her even further as she watched the onyx in his eyes spin, bleeding into a vibrant red color with three tomoes surrounding the pupils.

She couldn’t help but stare, absolutely mesmerized by his eyes. They were hauntingly beautiful and suited him almost too well. 

“Do you like them?” Izuna asked, amused by the amazement clearly displayed on her face.

[Name] didn’t speak, instead reaching up to touch his face hesitantly in response. He didn’t stop her, simply continuing to watch her as she took in every detail she could. Just before her fingers touched his skin, she stopped but continued to stare.

“They’re beautiful,” She said before she could stop herself.

Izuna suddenly felt his ego and his pride swell at that, “Is your kekkei genkai also beautiful?”

[Name] snapped out of her daze and frowned, “I don’t know. I’ve never looked at my own reflection while I’ve activated it.”

“Let me see,” Izuna urged, “It’s only fair, you know.”

She hesitated, especially after outright telling him ‘no’ minutes ago, “I don’t know.”

“What’s holding you back?” He reached up to grasp her chin again, only this time it was gentle, and she could easily pry herself away if she wanted to, “I’ll see it eventually, so why not show me now?”

She closed her eyes and inhaled deep, “Fine, but you can’t say anything to my father. He has a strict rule on keeping our kekkei genkai a secret.”

“You have my word,” Izuna replied, releasing his hold on her chin to give her space.

[Name] inhaled again, only this time she let a calmness flow over her to help concentrate her chakra. She knew her eyes wouldn’t be nearly as impressive as his, but he was insistent and would most likely keep her there until she conceded. So, she let her chakra continue to build until she felt her eyes tingle.

Izuna waited patiently for her to open her eyes again. He’d activated his Sharingan to watch the swirl of her chakra as it continued to funnel towards her eyes, and the curiosity that peaked because of this made him almost want to reach out and touch her. He could see two distinct variations of her chakra, each one going to a different eye.

“Your chakra is different,” Izuna suddenly said, “Why is that?” 

When [Name] finally opened her eyes, Izuna stared into them with full-blown curiosity, “All of my family members have two chakra natures that reflect in our eyes and can only be used when our kekkei genkai is active. This is why we keep it a secret and kill all of our enemies that might see it,” she looked away from him, not because his Sharingan was staring her down, but to hide from his lack of enthusiasm, “It’s nothing special.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Izuna reached up to grab her chin again, gently forcing her to look up at him, “You have a ruby-red eye and a sea-blue eye. So, I’m assuming that means you’re capable of using fire style and water style?”

[Name] nodded as best as she could with his fingers trapping her, “That’s right. Father thinks I have a third affinity too, but we haven’t been able to figure out which one just yet.”

“I’d say lightning,” Izuna studied her eyes intensely, “If you look deep enough, you can see a sharp golden color leaking around the pupil.”

She never replied but felt a little upset that he was studying her so intimately for what seemed like academic purposes. Despite her opinion on him, he was still to be her husband and to hear praise from him would have made the arrangement a little less tense.

“Can you use your chakra when your eyes are their normal brown shade?” Izuna inquired, deactivating his Sharingan and releasing her chin finally. 

[Name] nodded, “To an extent.”

He watched as the vibrant color of her eyes faded back to brown, “Oh?”

“We can use basic chakra control but until we activate our kekkei genkai, we can’t do too much,” She admitted, “We’re mostly taijutsu users unless we activate our eyes.”

“That seems counterproductive if you ask me?” Izuna crossed his arms, “Considering how long it took for you to activate your chakra, you’d be killed if you did that on the battlefield.”

[Name] glared slightly, “I did it that way for a reason. Our kekkei genkai doesn’t mature until we’re older, so it takes a huge amount of chakra to activate at first. I tried to slow the flow of my chakra down enough to activate it temporarily, that’s all.”

He didn’t seem convinced, but he also didn’t argue with her, “They suit you better than the brown eyes,” [Name] blinked, watching as he glanced over his shoulder to where one of her clansmen had appeared, “I guess it’s time to go back.” 

 _Did he just compliment me?_ Her brows furrowed. _First, he goes from insulting me and physically bullying me, to complementing my eyes? What the hell is going on?_

She followed Izuna silently as they made their back to the meeting hall, where the two were greeted by their respective families and asked to sit down once again. She avoided any and all eye contact with Izuna for the rest of the visit, only sparing a glance in his direction when Tajima addressed her. Things continued like this well into the evening, when her father suggested that the Uchiha remain at the [Surname] compound as guests for the night. Much to her surprise, Tajima agreed to this and sent one of his guards off to relay the message to the other ninja outside.

“While on the subject of hospitality, I would like to suggest something,” Tajima addressed Takimono while keeping his eyes trained on [Name].

Both Izuna and Madara’s eyes narrowed slightly while Takimono nodded slightly, “Oh?”

“Allow [Name] to travel back to the compound with us when we leave tomorrow. It will benefit both parties to have her arrive earlier, and she will be acclimated to our lifestyle much easier before she marries Izuna,” Tajima explained.

Madara watched his father intensely, wondering why all of a sudden, he was offering a generous proposition to Takimoto. With a sharp glance to [Name]’s face and then to Izuna’s, he could also tell that neither one of them had any idea of what was transpiring either. It made him wonder if his father had other plans outside of this agreement with the [Surname] clan, and that [Name] was merely a chess piece to his father’s game.

Takimoto seemed hesitant at first, “I suppose that would be acceptable.”

“Excellent,” Tajima then stood up, along with both of the brothers and Takimoto, “We will wait for her by the gates tomorrow morning.”

[Name] stood up and bowed sharply before exiting the room before anyone could say anything, as she made her way through the halls towards the back of the estate. With a quick scan, she made sure no one was around to see her before she took off into the woods through a passage that not many of her clansmen knew about.

 _Two weeks before I’m married, and yet they want to force me into a new lifestyle before I’ve even accepted everything?_ She thought furiously, knowing her reactions would seem childish if spoken aloud. _And my father... he just sat there and agreed!_

The faster her legs carried her, the stronger her emotions got until she felt her eyes sting with unshed tears. It was a lot to process, being that she wasn’t a noble and hadn’t been prepared for marriage since she was a child. She was a kunoichi, born to fight and die as a warrior or to live and grow with her clan in prosperity.

[Name] clenched her teeth as she forced her heel into the ground, stopping by a large tree as she balled her fist and glared hard. As she swung, the impact caused a large shockwave to vibrate throughout the area before the initial impact caused the tree’s base to shatter. She panted hard as she watched the tree tumble towards the ground, not relaxing any part of her body even as the tree crashed down onto the ground. Whipping around, she struck another tree with her opposite fist and watched as the tree followed the same fate as the first. Again, she swung wildly, letting her pent-up rage finally surface as she took every bit of energy out on the landscape.

It wasn’t until several large boulders and lots of trees later than [Name] finally calmed down and made her way to her favorite place, looking out to the horizon just beyond her clan’s borders. Everything was painted in the moonlight by the time she reached the summit and the temptation of the calm body of water not far from where she stood, a seductive offer to wash away the evidence of her frustration.

She’d ignored the burning from her bleeding and bruised hands up until the adrenaline and anger finally subsided, and now she could feel the ware on her body from the unexpected exercise.

Deciding to give into temptation, [Name] slowly began to strip off her clothing as she walked towards a small bush where she’d hidden several changes of clothing. She set what she’d been wearing off to the side and eased herself into the water, gasping as the cold water enveloped her until she was fully submerged.

When she came back up, she hadn’t realized there was a pair of eyes watching her closely.

“I take it you’ve finally calmed down now that you’ve destroyed half of the forest?” Izuna’s teasing voice echoed in the quiet area.

[Name] screamed, dropping down into the water deep enough to cover her entire upper body as she swirled around to where Izuna was, “Where the hell did you come from?!”

“I’ve been following at a distance since you took off in a tantrum after the meeting was called to end,” Izuna grinned, “It’s nice to see that when you get mad you get very strong. You should learn how to channel all of that and use it when you can control your emotions, [Name].”

She wanted to slap the taste right out of his mouth for the mocking undertone he spoke with, “Why are you here now?”

“You think I’m going to leave you up here by yourself in the dark?” He chuckled, “I’m a little insulted at your lack of faith in my chivalry.”

“Well, could you take your good deeds and go somewhere else while I get out of here and dry off? I’d rather keep my body off limits from your prying eyes until we’re married,” [Name] glared hard.

“Why put off the inevitable? As you said, I’ll see everything soon anyway, so why not get comfortable with me being around you now?” He was still grinning, “Would it make you feel better if I joined you?”

“No!” [Name] angrily pointed towards a dark part of the woods, “Go over there and wait!”

“I’d rather stay and watch you,” Izuna shifted, getting comfortable on the branch he was perched on as he let his legs dangle over the side, “Take as long as you want. No one else is going to come while I’m here with you, so you don’t have to worry about anyone else seeing you.”

“And that makes this situation better, how?!”

Izuna watched her in amusement, “Are you worried I won’t find your body attractive?”

“What? No–!” [Name] frowned deeply, “It’s a personal choice!”

“You seem a little wound up still. Want to continue our conversation?” He suddenly asked, “We can start with your training regime, which I’m assuming you’ll want to keep once you’re at our compound.”

[Name] was still frowning, “You’re going to let me continue training?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” His brow rose, “You seem like a capable fighter, so I won’t stop you from keeping your skills sharp. I'd be proud to have a wife who could defend herself and fight like a man if she needed to.”

“What about going off to fight against enemies?” Her brow rose, choosing to ignore the compliment for now.

Izuna shrugged, “Depends. If you gain the trust of the elders, they may allow you to join us even if I don’t request it.”

“So, basically it’s your decision or I have to get everyone to like me?” She frowned again, only reaffirming what her father already told her, “That seems unfair.”

“That’s how it is, unfortunately,” Izuna was honest, “We have a select number of kunoichi that are allowed to fight in battle, while the rest of the women stay behind and make sure the compound doesn’t go to shit. Us men would be hopelessly lost without them, you see.”

[Name] almost, _almost_ , laughed at him for admitting that, “I have to ask then,” she met his eyes, “did you have a lover back at the compound already before all of this? Someone you looked forward to coming home to?”

Izuna gave her a thoughtful look, “There were a few ladies that interested me, but I never really thought of settling down, to be honest,” He admitted truthfully, “I’m being groomed to be Madara’s right-hand for when he takes the position of clan head, so getting married and having a family was the least of my concerns.” 

“Until now?”

He watched her for a moment, “Well, if we’re being honest, I’m still unimpressed at the idea of getting married, but for the most part everything will continue the way it has been. I’ll have a companion and children to come home to eventually. Might give me a little extra bit of stamina on the battlefield knowing I have someone waiting for me."

[Name] wanted to be mad at him, but she found that his reasoning was fair and coming from a mature perspective, “I see.”

“What about you?” His head tilted slightly, “Ever think of how life might be once you settled down?”

“I have,” She looked down at the water and watched each ripple cascade across the surface as she moved, “Being the only daughter born to the head family, I knew I’d have to marry eventually, but I wanted it to be on my terms. I wanted to find someone who was a suitable match for me, who wouldn’t try to change me and can become my rock.”

“I see,” Izuna kicked his feet slightly, “Seems to me like you need a man who will let you continue to be independent and engage you enough to keep you from getting bored.”

[Name] looked up at him, “And I take it you’re that man?”

“I could be,” He grinned, “If we can eventually get along.”

“Considering you’re still here and I’m still in the water, I’d say we’re getting along to some extent,” [Name] answered with a small smile tugging at her lips.

“About that,” Izuna motioned to her, “I’d like to take the time to compliment your breasts right now. They’re quite lovely.”

[Name]’s face flared as she dropped back into the water, not realizing she’d stood up to stretch her legs mid-conversation, “Get out of here!”

“Why so angry? You’re obviously getting comfortable enough with me to let your guard down like that,” Izuna hopped down from his spot on the branch and walked over to the edge of the water, “Let me help you out.”

She laughed, “Yeahhh, and give you the full show? I don’t think so.”

“I could reach in and pull you out,” He grinned teasingly.

[Name] glared at him, “I’ll drown you if you even try it, Uchiha.”

“I take that as a challenge,” Izuna watched her as she moved away from the edge of the bank, “Don’t worry, I’ll save the games for when we’re married and enjoying each other’s company. For now, you should really get out of the water before you shrivel up. Your fathers also probably worried by now, and my father’s probably two seconds away from sending Madara after us.”

[Name] stared him down, “If you refuse to leave then turn around while I get out.”

“I suppose I could do that,” Izuna chuckled and crossed his arms as he turned his back to her.

“Thanks,” [Name] was hesitant, but when Izuna stood there still as a statue, she slowly made her way over and pushed herself out of the water.

As her feet touched the dry ground, she felt herself being whisked into strong arms and felt a cloth being loosely wrapped around her before being pressed against a tree. Her eyes narrowed as she stared up at the mischievous face of Izuna, who was looking down at her with a grin.

“Liar,” [Name] spat.

Izuna leaned down to hold her stare, “I couldn’t help myself,” He chuckled and pinned her arms above her head, “You shouldn’t be so angry. You really are beautiful.”

“Sweet talking me now?” She glared.

Izuna looked at her and smiled, “Not sweet talking, telling the truth. I’ve learned a lot about you since we arrived, and I’ll admit that I’ve underestimated you.”

“Oh?”

“Mm,” He moved closer to her, barely inches away from feeling her body against his, “You’re a lot stronger than I thought you were, and even though you’re emotional, I can tell you’re fiercely loyal. You’re prideful and you’re intelligent, not to mention the fact again that you’re a beautiful woman. A lot of positives in one package.”

“And that makes this okay?” [Name] stared up at him.

Izuna leaned down, “I wanted to see what you’d do, and you didn’t disappoint.”

“Is this some sort of a joke?” She glared, struggling to get her hands free.

“No, more like a test,” His eyes wandered down to her exposed chest, “You’re definitely not like other women.”

“So, I take it you do this a lot to manipulate the ladies into doing what you want?” [Name]’s eyes narrowed.

Izuna chuckled, “No, I don’t,” his eyes slowly memorized each curve he could see, “Most women that I’ve encountered aside from the married women at the compound tend to try and seduce their way into a man’s favor.”

“I’m not like that.”

“That’s why you’re different,” He winked. 

[Name] opened her mouth to speak when Izuna suddenly released her hands, instead reaching to wrap the article of clothing more snuggly around her shoulders. She immediately gripped the fabric to wrap it fully around herself and watched as he backed away. 

“I can’t tell if you’re being playful or intimidating,” [Name] muttered with a frown, not at all impressed by his carefree expression.

Izuna smiled at her, “A little of both is accurate enough,” He watched as she made her way over to a clean set of clothing and crossed his arms comfortably over his chest, “Serious question, though. Why do you come up here? Is it to meditate?”

“Not necessarily,” [Name] gave him a warning look, to which he grinned and shrugged his shoulders, before ducking behind a tree and began to dress, “I do a lot of things here, from training to meditating, or even sometimes just to enjoy the view. You must have realized by now as shinobi, we don’t get moments of tranquility that often.”

Izuna nodded, “That’s true,” Taking the time to look around, he couldn’t help but admire the small clearing with the moonlight bathing everything around him, “It really is a beautiful spot.”

“Are there places like this near the Uchiha compound?” [Name] asked.

“Nothing as spectacular as this I’m afraid,” Izuna closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him, focusing on [Name]’s breathing and the shuffling of clothing, “There are a couple spots that I could take you to, though.”

As [Name] walked back into view, Izuna opened his eyes and took in her appearance. She wore a more traditional style dress than the battle-suited attire from earlier. It made her look more feminine than she’d more than likely take as a compliment, so Izuna decided to keep his comment to himself.

“Ready to go back?”

[Name] nodded, “I have to apologize for my behavior.”

Izuna chuckled, “The only one you need to apologize to is my brother. He took more offense to you running out than both of our father’s did, surprisingly enough.”

[Name] frowned, “Why?”

“Madara’s a little more sensitive than he likes to let on, so when you took off before the meeting was officially ended, he all but demanded that he be the one to come after you,” Izuna walked over to her and looped his arm around her waist before she could object, “I rushed out before he could even get the sentence out, which is only fitting considering you’re my fiancé and not his. Anyway, let’s get back before he really does come looking for us.”

 

\- .o. -

“So, what do you think of her?” Izuna looked to Madara, who was sitting on one of the two futons in the room they were sharing for the night, “Honest opinion.”

Madara frowned as he looked at Izuna, “If she doesn’t restrain herself, she’ll have a difficult time finding support from the Uchiha even if she is your wife.”

“You know, I actually enjoy that about her,” Izuna admitted with a grin, “She’s not like the Uchiha women, and I think that’s what’s most appealing about her to me.”

“In other words, you like the fact that she’s like you?” Madara wanted to roll his eyes.

“Harsh,” Izuna chuckled, “But yes, I do enjoy the fact that she’s similar to me in that aspect.”

“She seems to have a lot of admirers here in the clan,” Leaning back against the wall, Madara looked out the window, “Do you think she’s had an affair with any of them?”

Izuna shrugged, “Given how she reacted when I followed her to her secret training area, I don’t think another man’s ever even laid eyes on her let alone touched her. 

“You know she’ll be checked before you two are married, right?”

“I know, but I don’t think it will matter,” Izuna looked to Madara.

Madara frowned, “You didn’t touch her, did you? 

“I had the opportunity, but no, I didn’t touch her,” Izuna admitted with a grin, “Afraid that the elders will call my soon-to-be-wife a whore?”

“That may affect what will happen when we overthrow father and take over the clan,” Madara narrowed his eyes slightly, “Even after that, I don’t know what will happen to her. Because she will be your wife, I won’t have her eliminated unless she poses a threat to our plan.”

Izuna nodded, “You don’t have to worry about her. I’ll see to it that she has enough information to keep quiet.”

“You already admire this girl, don’t you?” Madara frowned.

Izuna shrugged his shoulders, “I’ll admit that she’s growing on me, but I wouldn’t say I have any attachment to her that would affect future decisions. She may be my fiancé, but she’s not blood.”

“Just remember that this is a diplomatic marriage, Izuna,” Madara watched his little brother as he crossed the room to sit on the other futon, “She isn’t necessary to our plans. If she becomes a problem or she causes any delay in our plans, I won’t hesitate.”

“You’ve made yourself clear, Madara,” Izuna gave an exaggerated sigh, “Let’s get some sleep. Father wants to leave early and I’m sure the goodbye’s on [Name]’s part will be emotional.”

Madara shifted and slowly slipped under the covers, “Fine, but we will be continuing this conversation at a later date. 

“I know,” Izuna chuckled, leaning over to blow out the candle that lit the room before crawling under the covers of his own futon.

 

\- .o. -

[Name] stood beside her father at the gates to their compound as the Uchiha, fully armored and ready for any skirmish on the road, approached them. She could tell by the look on Tajima’s and Madara’s faces that her stunt from the previous night was still not forgotten, but the snarky response she had on the tip of her tongue was silenced with a quick glance to Izuna, who simply grinned at her and brought his finger to his lips to suggest she stay silent. 

“Well Tajima, it has been an honor,” Takimoto bowed respectfully, as did the other clansmen that accompanied them to see [Name] off, “We will make our way to your compound two days before the marriage is set to take place, so if there is no further pressing matters or negotiations to settle, we will see you then.”

Tajima nodded, “We will send a shinobi to meet you at the borders when the time comes.”

[Name] felt the emotions she’d fought to keep at bay all night starting to surface as she turned to her father, who looked down at her with a monotonous expression. However, she could see a sea of emotions whirling in his eyes that almost made her crack.

With a bow, [Name] silently bid her family goodbye before walking over to the waiting Uchiha. She was guided by one of the Uchiha mercenaries to stand beside Izuna, who sent her a sympathetic look before Tajima gave them the signal to start moving. She followed as commanded, not uttering a word or taking her eyes off the man in front of her the entire time they traveled. She could also feel the eyes of the other Uchiha on her the entire journey as if they were expecting her to suddenly pull weapons from her clothing and attempt to strike them down. Madara, she figured, was the foreboding presence that seemed to creep up her spine the entire time, as he was currently traveling beside her, opposite of Izuna.

“We’re halfway there now,” Tajima signaled for the group to stop before motioning for several of the shinobis to go closer, leaning in to whisper something to one in particular.

Meanwhile, Madara watched carefully from his spot to [Name]’s right at the exchange between his father and his men. His eyes drifted to Izuna, who was also analyzing the situation and shot him a knowing look.

[Name] looked around, completely unaware of what was happening between the Uchiha head and his mean, as she looked to Izuna and said in a hushed voice, “Aren’t we exposed like this?”

“We’re fine,” Izuna smiled down at her, making sure not to directly lock eyes with her due to his Sharingan being active, “We’ll be leaving for home shortly. It’s not that far away now that we’ve made it to this point.”

“Will we arrive before nightfall?”

He nodded, “If we keep traveling at the speed we are, yes.”

Madara grunted at the two when Tajima went silent, sending the few shinobi he’d privately spoken to off in different directions. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn’t say anything to question what his father was up to.

“We’ll be making a small detour before we return to the compound,” Tajima announced, “Come, and do so quietly.”

[Name] gave Izuna a questioning glance but his eyes were narrowed. He cast Madara a wary glance and mirrored his elder brother’s suspicious look.

“Where are we going?” Madara stood still, meeting Tajima’s narrowed eyes as he turned to face his son.

“That is of no concern to you, Madara.”

Madara didn’t budge, “I want to know where we’re going, or Izuna and I will be escorting [Name] back to the compound without you.”

Tajima chuckled, “So serious, Madara. You didn’t even want her to join us, and now you’re offering to be an escort?” He didn’t miss the hateful look his eldest son shot him, “Alright. We are going to a nearby village that caters to shinobi. I want to retrieve a particular object from some mutual friends before we return home.”

“Oh, and what might that be?” Madara narrowed his eyes, still not accepting what his father was saying.

Izuna felt the shift in the air and immediately took a step in front of [Name], who was watching the scene unfold with anxiety building up.

“You honestly thought I couldn't figure out what it is you two have been planning?” Tajima addressed both sons, as the remaining Uchiha accompanying them began to surround them, “I know you plan to fight me and take the position of clan head, Madara. I’m no fool. Why do you think I allowed this marriage to go through and brought you with me?”

Madara smirked, “You didn’t want me alone at the compound to arouse the clan to unite against you?”

“Of course,” Tajima reached back to grab the handle to his sword, “Why leave the only influence left in the clan to start an insurrection? I’d rather have you close by and deal with you now, rather than if I returned to a handful of faithful clansmen.”

Izuna looked around to see the others had already unsheathed their weapons and grinned, “Seems he’s forcing our hands, brother.”

“You’re right, Izuna. All of that scheming was time wasted,” Madara pulled his sword out and aimed it for his father, “Protect your bride. I can handle father on my own.”

“Alright,” Izuna suddenly grabbed [Name] around the waist as he swung her body over his shoulder to land behind him, meanwhile pivoting them so that he was facing the other clansmen, “Sorry to handle you roughly, but I can assume you understand why?”

[Name] caught her breath and nodded, “Yeah,” She looked to Madara and Tajima, “What the hell is going on?”

“We’re taking control of the Uchiha clan, that’s what,” Izuna blocked a direct attack before killing one of the five standing in front of him, "Sooner than anticipated, that is."

[Name] went wide-eyed as she watched Madara engage Tajima before turning to Izuna, unsheathing her own sword just in time to block an attack meant to strike him down from behind. Izuna shot her a grin before making quick work of the man, colliding hard enough to knock the sword from his hands before looking him in the eyes and locking him under a powerful genjutsu. He then turned to the others, who were staring hard at him despite the fear slowly creeping into their features.

Izuna was still grinning as he faced them all, but the humor he normally displayed was replaced by cold malice, “Is that fear I see in your eyes? Uchiha do not show fear in the heat of battle,” His hands moved fast as he went through specific hand signs, “Show’s over. I’ll tell your wives you died in a fight against a fierce enemy.”

He managed to shield [Name]’s eyes as he released a massive fireball directly at the remaining men, giving them no chance to dodge or prepare their own attack to neutralize Izuna’s jutsu, but it was too late. The screams lasted for only seconds before nothing was left.

[Name] exhaled deeply as Izuna dropped his arm from her field of vision, “Thanks...”

“Sorry about this,” Izuna looked down at her, “We weren’t expecting our father to do this, otherwise I would have told you in order to prepare you for a fight.”

The sound of metal striking metal drew their attention, and as they turned, Madara gained the upper hand and disarmed Tajima. He didn’t hesitate, swinging his sword around to plunge deep into his father’s chest.

Tajima gasped painfully as he dropped to the ground at Madara’s feet, staring up at his son while holding the blade still, “You...”

“I missed a vital spot on purpose, so tell me,” Madara narrowed his eyes, “Where did you send the others off to?”

Tajima chuckled lightly before coughing up blood, “They’re going to pay [Name]’s clan a visit,” His eyes, no longer able to hold the Sharingan due to chakra exertion, locked with [Name]’s, “You didn’t honestly believe I would marry one of my strongest sons to a clan that has a powerful kekkei genkai and let the remaining survivors live? They’re on the brink of extinction, and while they normally don’t pick sides, I’m not willing to give them the opportunity to betray us even if this marriage was to combine both clan’s powers.”

[Name]’s eyes widened, “You bastard!”

Izuna grabbed her around the waist again to stop her from charging him, “I see, so this was a ploy to remove the strongest kunoichi from the clan before decimating them?”

“Of course,” Tajima looked at Izuna and [Name], “We weren’t going to kill them until we figured out who was the most likely to compare to us in strength, so when Takimono came to me with a proposal to marry off their most gifted clansman, the entire plan was set in motion,” He smirked, “There are over thirty Uchiha on their way to kill every single [Surname] left standing, including Takimono.”

Izuna could feel [Name]’s chakra surging as the rage built up, “What did you hope to gain from this?”

“We are shinobi, Izuna,” Tajima looked to Madara then, “Be glad you are offered the luxury of having a beautiful wife strong enough to defend herself, unlike your mother. Shinobi live and die for battle, and to eliminate threats to their own people. I was merely taking action to ensure the safety of our clan through any means necessary.”

“He believed you!” [Name] angrily spat, “He believed that you would keep your word and that we could combine the clans to live peacefully! How dare you!”

Madara looked back to [Name] and felt a swell of pity for her. He could see that Izuna was also feeling similar, with the way he looked down at her as tears angrily streamed down her face.

“Enough,” Madara finally turned to Tajima and gripped the handle of his sword, “Your concern for the Uchiha’s well-being ends now. I will be assuming control, and I will lead the clan into a better future, starting with the deaths of all the traitors you sent to destroy [Name]’s clan.”

With that, Madara killed Tajima. He watched as his father’s body sunk to the ground fully before retracting his sword, sheathing it as he turned to walk back to Izuna and [Name]. 

“If we hurry, we should be able to make it before they start fighting,” Madara looked at [Name], “Or are you going to stand there and wallow in sadness?”

She glared up at him, “I’m going back.” 

“Good, let’s go.”


End file.
